Back Into the Swing of Things

Labor Day was this past Monday, which means that the kiddos in NYC are gearing up to head back to school this week! And this also means that what had become routine over the summer is about to switch back to the main routine. And even though it is the routine that we follow eleven months of every year, the three weeks that Becca is not in school poses a disruption in that routine. It is the time that we separate to go on vacations, it is the time that we relax the sleep schedule, and it's the time that life looks a little less predictable compared to the rest of the year.

And what an amazing three weeks we had! We had some much needed family time and Becca visited all sorts of places - some of her most favorite places and some that she had never seen before. We played in sand and water, and ran around and ate, we went to the beach and walked the boardwalk and played games, and we went to sleep really late. And then, in the blink of an eye, summer was over just as quickly as it had arrived. And here we are, the last day of break before Becca starts the first grade.

The back to school transition can be rough for any child, but it can be especially tough on Autistic children who often thrive when they follow a consistent routine. This is why it is so important to plan ahead to make the transition back as smooth as possible - especially after a long interruption.

We started by talking to Becca about school...a lot. Every chance we get, we remind her that school is starting soon and that she will see her teachers and her friends and that she is going to learn and grow so much this year just as she did last year. Becca's school has already called us to notify us of who Becca's first grade teacher will be, and so I started explaining to Becca that she will be in a new class with a new teacher, because she is a big girl and is growing up. And I have been reminding her every few days. This way, she expects to be with a different teacher than she had last year. Setting up that expectation goes a long way in reducing anxiety.

Next, we tried to include her in the preparations wherever we could. We had an official unveiling of the new backpack and the new water bottle and the new lunch bag. We tried to make it as fun as possible so that she would look forward to the day that she can use her shiny new first grade school supplies. And we did the unveiling fairly early - about two weeks ago so she can familiarize herself with the items but not so early that she messes up the items before she even has a chance to use them. The point is that we tried to make it fun so that she begins to look forward to the day that she gets to go back to school.

After the unveiling and packing of the supplies, I placed Becca's new backpack in plain sight where we used to hang her previous backpack. I have had it visible this entire time and I make it my business to point it out to her every chance I get. This way, she knows that is her backpack for this school year. I learned that I had to do this because sometimes small changes can throw Becca off. For example, one time I made her a grilled cheese sandwich but forgot to cut it down the middle like she is used to. She stared at the sandwich for a few minutes, and looked up to me unsure of what to do next. When I realized that I had forgotten to cut the sandwich, I cut it and only then did she happily grab it and start eating. So in an effort to reduce any resistance based on small changes, I introduced Becca's new backpack and new lunch bag and new thermos and water bottles fairly early - and had her start using some of the items right after the unveiling so she can get used to them. Same goes for new clothes - I bought new pants and new shoes and started putting them on her about two weeks early so she can get used to the sensation and fit of the new clothes compared to her previous uniform pants - especially since her summer program did not require the uniform.

Lastly, we gradually moved bedtime earlier until Becca was (roughly) sleeping at the correct time for school about a week or two ago. And we started using the school morning routine at the beginning of this week so that she isn't shocked back into routine on Thursday when she starts. For example, we have a very specific song that we use every morning to wake Becca when she is going to school. We use different songs when she isn't in school, so she associates that song with waking up for school. We started using it at the beginning of this week, and I have been reminding her that this week we go back to school, to make sure that she mentally prepares herself to get back into the classroom. In addition, we have been showing her pictures from last school year to remind her that she will be heading back this week.

Getting back into the swing of things after a long break from routine can be challenging for all of us. I know I have a hard time going "back to reality". But with a little communication, advance planning, and a little extra TLC, we can make the transition back to school a little smoother for our kiddos.